Bill per call without the monthly argument
Readings land every hour from the gateway and the client. A mismatch raises a ticket the same day, not six weeks later.
- Hourly windows
- Both-sided readings
- Prefunded vault optional
Metered settlement on Canton
Count it together. Settle it the same hour.
Orbitmeter turns usage into signed readings from both sides, closes the window on a schedule you set, and settles what nobody challenged. No month-end invoice, no argument from memory.
meter / api-calls / acct-3391 window open
Units this window
54,791
Settles at close
$23.01
| Batch | Source | Units |
|---|---|---|
| b-4417 | provider | 18,420 |
| b-4418 | customer | 18,411 |
| b-4419 | provider | 17,960 |
b-4417 and b-4418 differ by 9 units. Below tolerance, no ticket raised.
The problem
Usage billing breaks in four predictable places
The invoice arrives after the argument starts
Usage is counted for a month, billed at the end, and questioned when the number lands. By then the logs have rotated.
Two sides, two counters
The provider counts requests at the gateway. The customer counts them at the client. Nobody agreed which one wins.
Credit builds up quietly
Between the first unit delivered and the payment received, one side is lending the other money without saying so.
Every integration is rebuilt
Metering, disputes, proration and payout logic get written again for each new customer contract.
How it works
Three moves, repeated every window
- 01
Agree the meter
Both parties sign what is counted, how often it is read and what a unit costs. The meter definition is the contract, not an appendix to it.
- 02
Submit readings
Readings arrive from either side on a fixed cadence. Each one is signed and sequenced, so a gap is visible immediately rather than at month end.
- 03
Close the window
At the end of each window the readings are totalled, the dispute period opens, and anything unchallenged settles on Canton.
Primitives
Six contracts, not five bespoke integrations
The same six pieces cover an API meter, a substation and a container terminal. Only the unit changes.
MeterAgreement
What gets counted and at what price
Holds the unit definition, the reading cadence, the price schedule and the parties. Changing it needs both signatures.
ReadingBatch
Signed usage, in sequence
A numbered batch of readings with the submitter's signature. Missing sequence numbers surface as gaps, not silence.
SettlementWindow
The period that closes
Totals the batches, applies the price schedule and produces one amount. Windows can be hourly, daily or monthly.
DisputeTicket
The disagreement, on the record
Either party can challenge a window before it settles. The ticket names the readings in question and pauses only that part.
PayoutSplit
Who gets which slice
Splits one settlement across resellers, partners or infrastructure providers by rules agreed up front.
MeterVault
The funds behind the meter
Holds the collateral or prefunded balance a window draws from, so settlement does not depend on a bank transfer clearing.
Use cases
One meter model, three industries
Settle generation and supply between operators
Meter readings from substations become signed batches. Settlement follows the same window everyone already reconciles against.
- Half-hourly readings
- Split across operators
- Dispute window per period
Pay per container moved, not per estimate
Terminal and carrier each submit counts. The window closes on what both submitted, and the difference is visible before invoicing.
- Daily windows
- Partner splits
- Evidence attached per batch
FAQ
What teams ask first
What if only one side submits readings?+
The window still closes, but it closes as single-sourced and is flagged that way. Most teams start single-sourced and add the second feed once they trust the numbers.
Do we have to move our funds on-chain?+
No. A vault is optional. Without one, the window produces a settled amount and your existing payment rail pays it.
What happens to a disputed window?+
Only the challenged readings pause. The rest of the window settles on schedule, so one argument does not hold up a whole month.
Is this live?+
Testnet only. We are running pilots with two infrastructure providers and are not taking production volume yet.
Bring one invoice your customer disputed.
We will model it as a meter, replay the usage, and show what both sides would have signed at the time.